Chapter Twenty-Five
Trace
There was a knock at my door and I lifted my head, grateful for the distraction.
“Come in.” Lena ducked inside. As soon as I saw her expression, I knew something was up. “What’s wrong?”
“There’s a woman here to see you. She’s waiting in reception and making quite a scene.”
“What the fuck?” I muttered to myself, getting to my feet with concern. “Did she say who she is?”
“No. She said she’s your girlfriend. I’ve seen her before but just can’t place where.”
Kelsey immediately popped in my head. Was she that crazy to come to my office disrupting everything? I sighed. Yeah. Panic set in. The last thing I needed was her making a scene.
“Bring her in,” I ordered. After our phone conversation, I hadn’t heard from her, so I figured she’d shelved the idea of reuniting and moved on. I’d been so busy at work and spending time with Cierra that I didn’t think anything about it.
I smiled when Cierra flitted through my mind. She was so amazing, and I loved spending time with her. Another shocker for me since I’d never done that with other women. But then she wasn’t “another woman” she was Cierra.
“Will do,” Lena said as she stepped out of the room.
I collapsed back into my chair. Shit. How did she get in here in the first place? Didn’t we have some kind of sensors on the door that kept out all desperate exes? If not, then that would be the next kind of technology we poured our time and money into. I knew a hell of a lot of people who would pay for that. I’d buy twenty just for myself.
A few minutes later, the door to my office burst open and Kelsey stood there looking at me with a tear-streaked face and wobbling lip. I got to my feet and ushered her in, closing the door behind her and hating that she’d exposed me to the inevitable office gossip that I was sure Lena was chomping at the bit to start spreading. If this got back to my grandfather, I’d never hear the end of it. Thomas Linder never mixed business with personal things, and having a weeping ex causing a scene at Velocity would justify a hanging at the gallows.
“Kelsey, what the fuck are you doing here?”
She rolled her eyes and brushed away the tears from her face. “I deserved to see you in person, don’t you think? Especially after everything you put me through.” She lifted her chin, acting like she was on some kind of noble crusade.
Glancing at my desk, the stack of files reminded me how much work I had. Irritation pricked my skin. “What the fuck are you talking about? You’re the one who fucked my best friend, remember?”
“It wasn’t like that,” she whined, her voice taking on a childlike edge that just served to irritate me more. How in the hell did I ever actually date this woman? What was I thinking? Had I been that desperate to get laid that I had overlooked the obviousness of the fact that she was… well, kind of a nightmare?
I held up my hand. “I don’t want to rehash all this. It’s done and we’re finished. You need to move on. I’ve already given you enough of my time. I want you to get out of here and never come back, or I’m going to call security and get a restraining order so you can’t burst into this place again. Do you understand that?”
Her eyes narrowed to slits. “What’s going on with you and Cierra?”
It was as though she’d doused me in cold water. “I don’t know what the hell you’re talking about,” I replied, waving my hand to dismiss her, but she took a step toward me, a cruel grin cracking out over her face. She knew she’d found some ammunition that, in her twisted mind, she could use to manipulate me. But she was wrong. No one manipulates me. Ever.
She cocked her head at me. “Yes, you do. She was asking about you, you know. Asking what you were like. I know she likes you and I know you can’t resist a woman, no matter if they’re your type or not. I know you’re fucking her. I wonder what your grandfather or the board of directors would think about their CEO opening them up to a sexual harassment suit.”
I kept my face impassive. “Did you tell Cierra the truth about our breakup?”
She gripped the edge of the desk. “So it’s ‘Cierra’ and not ‘Ms. Duncan’ anymore?” A dry cackle burst through her lips.
“I’m going to take that as a no.”
“Actually, I told her you were a womanizing asshole. Did you really think I’m going to tell her the truth? Why would I do that? It’s not like you’re going to think about getting back together with me if I do.”
“You’re damn right about that, so your plan for us to get back together is nothing more than a pathetic pipedream. I have work to do.”
“Whoever told you I wanted to get back together with you is full of shit. I have plenty of men interested in me. I don’t need or want you.”
“Then why are you here? Did you think you’d try for a second chance at the family fortune? You’re so damn transparent.”
“It’s not like that, Trace. Give me some credit—”
“For what? For cheating on me and then coming back to me after Jason dumped you? Do you want credit for lying to Cierra about why we broke up and making me the bad guy?”
She lunged forward and pointed a finger at me. “This is all about Cierra, isn’t it? You’re such an asshole. And you know what? She still thinks you’re a bastard, and unless I tell her any different, that isn’t going to change. She trusts me over you, no matter what kind of bullshit you’ve been trying to pull on her to make it seem like you’re actually a decent person.”
She doesn’t know Cierra and I are dating. “You need to leave. I have a company to run and don’t have time for junior high antics.” I went behind the desk, sat on the chair, and began rifling through one of the files.
“You like Cierra, don’t you?” Bitterness laced her voice.
I looked up. “Yeah, I do. I think she’s amazing. She’s smart, funny, and beautiful, and she doesn’t pull anything close to the kind of shit you’re trying to do right now.”
She rolled her eyes. “Oh please. She’s not a damn saint. Far from it. I know her better than you ever could, and I can tell you that she’s not what she seems. Let’s just say she’s not good enough for someone like you.” She looked intently at me, fluttering her long lashes in my direction.
“Cierra’s better than good enough. She’s everything I want. I’ve never met a woman like her.” That must’ve been the moment when everything really sank in for Kelsey, because her face twisted from flirtatious and forgiving into sheer, consuming fury over the course of a second.
“I don’t know what you see in her. She’s boring, she’s obsessed with work, and besides, she’s seeing someone else.” She laughed. “From the look on your face, you obviously didn’t know that. She just gushed about him to me the other day.”
My skin pulled as tightness set in. “Who the fuck is she seeing?”
“Cory. So you see, you’re letting yourself get hung up on someone who doesn’t care about you, and you’re acting like a fucking idiot in the process.”
I relaxed. Kelsey was pulling out all the stops. I knew Cory was history, so it was obvious Kelsey was lying and stabbing Cierra in the back in her desperate attempt to try and get back with me. How in the hell was Cierra ever friends with her? I leaned back in the chair and fixed my gaze on her. “I know Cierra went out with Cory. And she is dating someone—me. And this isn’t an office fling, or a passing thing. I love her and want to make a life with her.”
She rocked back on her heels as though I’d struck her a physical blow, and it took me a moment to realize I’d said I loved Cierra. The three biggest words I’d ever uttered had spilled from my tongue so naturally. I had really said I loved her. It was out there now, and there was no turning back. And that suited me just fine.
“You can’t be fucking serious,” she almost sounded like she was about to burst into hysterical laughter. Either that or tears; I couldn’t tell which one was more likely at that point.
“I’m dead serious,” I replied.
“You sound like you’re in a fucking romantic drama movie.” She sneered in my direction. “You’ll get tired of her real fast, and when you do, call me.”
I pushed back and rose to my feet. “Did Cierra ever tell you about chewing me out at Beta the night you and she were there? I know you saw me, and she came up to me and reamed me about not treating you right. That’s the kind of woman I have, and the kind of friend you have, Kelsey.”
Kelsey grinned slowly. “She told me and I thought it was dumb. She’s always fighting injustices. She actually spends her free time helping people who won’t get a job. Unbelievable. She’s such a sap.”
I grabbed her arm, pulling her toward the door. “I’ve given you way more time than you deserved. Have a good life, and leave Cierra and me alone. The next time you attempt to contact me, there will be consequences you won’t like.”
She jerked away from my grasp. “Don’t touch me. I’m so done with you. And no matter what happens with you and her, she’ll always wonder if you cheated on me. She trusts me, and she’ll never have full confidence in you. And that’s the way it’s going to stay because I’m never going to tell her the truth.”
And then I heard a knock at the door.